Cow-tail holder.



F. A. KRUSE.

COW TAIL HOLDER.

APPLICATION EILED MAY 7, 1918.

1,298,061. Patented Mar. 25,1919.

INVENTOR fiwA/fwr A Zfllfd" 4 BY Z/W m 2 m" ATTORNEY FROIDE A. KRUSE,01E TYLER, MINNESOTA.

COW-TAIL HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent. t t 25, 1919 7 Application filed May 7,1918. Serial No. 233,072.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRoDn A. KRUsn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tyler, in the county of Lincoln and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cow-TailHolders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a cow tail holder.

The object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device ofthis character which may be manipulated by one hand in applying andremoving, and without necessitating the hand of the milker coming incontact with the tail.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which, whenapplied, is positively locked and cannot become accidentally detached.

Another object is to construct a device of this character with means forconnecting it to the body of the milker so that it'may be usedsuccessively in connection with a plurality of cows without its becomingmislaid, and which is so constructed and connected that the tailengaging member will be heldin proper relative position to the body ofthe milker so that the cow cannot switch her invention herein disclosedmay be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 represents aplan view of a device constructed in accordancewith this invention with the tail clamping jaws shown in open position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with parts broken out for convenience inillustration and with the jaws shown closed in the position which theyassume when engaging the tail of a cow, and V Fig. 3 is a transversesection taken on the line 3-3 of Fi 2.

In the embodiment illustrated, the device constituting this invention iscomposed from a piece of heavy spring wire bent midway its ends toprovide a loop 1, and the said wire is twisted together to form a shank2 which projects laterally at right angles from one side-bar of saidloop 1. After being twisted, the wires diverge and are provided atpoints spaced from their terminals withinbent por tions 3 formingdivergingfingers 4 at the terminals of which are mounted theclampingjaws 5. These clamping jaws 5 are concavo-convex with the concave faces.ar-

ranged opposite each other to provide ample ispzlulze to receivebetweenthem the tail to be 1e c. are inbent portions 6 whichare designedto receive a locking member 7, now to be described. This locking membercomprises a piece of wire coiled around the shank 2, one end of the coilbeing closely disposed as shown at 8, and the other end similarly coiledas shown at 9, the coils 8 and 9 being connected by a loose coil 10forming a sleeve-like structure {which is designed to be slipped forwardand backward to close and release thejaws. The close coils 9 at thefront end of'the looking member 7 form a band which is designed tobeposi-tioned in the inben-t portion 6 when thedevice is in operativeposition as shown in Fig. 2, while the coils 8 at the opposite end forma hand grip for actuating this locking device.

A flexible element 11 is attached at one end to the loop 1 and isprovided at its free end with a snap hook 12 which is designed to bedetachably engaged with said loop as shown in Fig. 1, the flexibleelement 11 being designed as a belt to be passed around the waist of themilker for attaching the holder.

One end of this flexible element 11 is preferably coiled around theshank 2 as shown in Fig. 1, so that the belt may be adjusted to fitwaists of different sizes or to ti hten or loosen it around any milker.

The loop 1 is made oblong in shape and projects at opposite ends beyondopposite ends of the shank 2 and is especially made in this form so thatthe belt or flexible element 11 will operate to always hold the tailengaging member in a plane substantially at right angles to the body ofthe milker in correct position to hold the tail against switching.

In the use of this device, the parts being in the position shown in Fig.1, the belt 11 having been passed around the milkers waist, the milkergrasps the locking device 7 in one hand and positions the jaws 5 so asto straddle the tail to be held. He then forces the holder 7 forwarduntil it reaches At the inner ends of these jaws 5 the position shown inFig. 2, which causes the fingers a to cross each other at 4' and theportions 3 "to bulge outwardly and pro ject laterally in oppositedirections so that the locking member 7 cannot be slipped backwardaccidentally, and requires some force to accomplish this movementthereby preventing all possibility of the tail being accidentallyreleased.

While a cord is here shown for attaching the tail holder to the milker,obviously any other form of belt may be employed. It will be of courseunderstood that it is adv-antageous to produce a device,thelockingmember of which can be actuated by one hand so as to preventcontact of the milkers hand withany portion of the cow thereby avoidingunsanitary conditions.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may beconsidered the preferred or approved form of my invention. It is to beunderstood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangementand combination of parts, materials, dimensions, at cl, as may proveexpedient and fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters-Patent, is

1'. In a device of the class described, a pair of spring clamping janvshaving 7 a tendency to normally spring apart, arms extending rearwardlyfrom said jaws with inbent portions intermediate their ends, saidarranged loop with members twisted to form a shank extending laterallyandrigidly at right angles from one side bar of said loop, said membersdiverging at their front ends to form resilient arms, said arms beingprovided at points spaced from their termi-v nals with inbent portions,and having clamping jaws at their free ends, a sleevelike looking memberencircling and slid-able on said arms, said arms crossing each'other onthe forward movement of the sleeve whereby their inbent portions areshifted to form oppositely extending lateral projections at the rear ofthe sleeve to-prevent backward movement of said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRODE A. KRUSE.

Witnesses S. H. OXnoLM, ELLA OLSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

